THE CRESCENT MOON

The crew rides a wooden cart pulled by a cow through the countryside past a "VILLAGE" sign. Usopp sits on the cow with his back turned, wearing a shirt that reads "MURDERER Usopp." Nami laughs while juggling vegetables and tossing an eggplant toward Luffy, who flails in panic as anthropomorphic angry vegetables fly around them. The page header reads "CHAPTER 28 'THE CRESCENT MOON'" and the Japanese title 「第28話『弦月』」 appears at the bottom.

At night on the rocky path, Luffy shakes Usopp violently while shouting "STOP SHAKING! STOP IT!! STOP IT!!" Usopp trembles and whimpers. Nami watches with Zoro nearby. Usopp then yells, "BUT RATHER WE'RE COMMENDING YOU FOR HAVING COURAGE WE'RE NOT SYMPATHIZING FOR YOU! I DON'T NEED YOUR SYMPATHY! GO AWAY! NOW! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING AT!I THEY'RE CAPTAIN KURO'S FLEET! OF COURSE I'M SCARED!" Luffy asks, "WHY ELSE WOULD WE RISK OUR OWN LIVESI" Usopp, moved to tears, replies, "I'M SO TOUCHED! YOU... YOU GUYS..."

On the cliffside path leading into Syrup Village, the group surveys the narrow slope. "THERE'S ONLY ONE SLOPE," one notes. "THE REST IS JUST CLIFFS!" another adds. "BECAUSE, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY INTO THE VILLAGE," a third concludes. Under the crescent moon, a voice warns, "THEY'RE GOING TO ATTACK FROM THIS SHORE." Kaya stands firm with the Usopp Pirates. "EASIER SAID THAN DONE..." one boy mutters. "SOUNDS EASY!" another replies. "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS GOOD ATI" Kaya asks. She declares, "THIS MEANS, AS LONG AS WE GUARD THIS SLOPE WITH OUR LIVES, THE VILLAGE WON'T BE HARMED!" Usopp shouts angrily, "YOU HAVE TO FIGHT TOO!!" The three boys react in turn: "HIDING!" "STEALING!" "STRETCH-ING!" "CUTTING!"

Inside the darkened mansion, Kaya lies asleep in bed under the crescent moon. "SHE LOOKED VERY TIRED..." a voice observes. "WHERE IS OJOU-SAMAI" another asks. "SHE'S ALREADY ASLEEP," comes the reply. In the study, the old woman Merry speaks with Klahadore. "YES, I KNOW. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT HE WOULD EVEN CLAIM THAT YOU ARE A PIRATE... IT'S NOT EVEN A GOOD LIE..." she says. Klahadore adjusts his glasses. "THAT USOPP KID IS QUITE A TROUBLE MAKER," he replies. "I CANNOT BELIEVE ALL THIS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS AWAY..." Merry continues, "ONLY AN IDIOT WOULD BELIEVE A THING HE SAYS..." Klahadore covers his face and answers, "YES..."

Merry explains, "SHE SAID IT'S BECAUSE TOMORROW WILL BE EXACTLY THREE YEARS SINCE YOU FIRST CAME TO WORK AT THIS MANSION." Klahadore reacts with surprise. "OH... THAT..." "WHAT'S THISI" "HMI" Merry adds, "SHE SAYS IT'S AN ANNIVERSARY." She continues, "SO OJOU-SAMA WENT TO THE NEXT TOWN PERSONALLY AND ORDERED THIS SPECIAL PAIR OF GLASSES! BECAUSE YOUR GLASSES OFTEN SLIP... SHE IS SO NICE AND CARING..." Klahadore examines the new glasses as the wrapping tears. "PULL OUT..." "SHE IS SO NICE AND CARING..." "ANNIVERSARY..." he mutters. Standing by the window under the crescent moon, Klahadore thinks, "ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS, EVERY CELL IN MY BODY BECOMES EXCITED... TONIGHT'S MOON, IT'S CRESCENT... INDEED... TOMORROW REALLY IS A SPECIAL DAY..." "EHI" Merry responds.

Klahadore suddenly crushes the anniversary glasses under his striped boot with a loud CRASH!! Merry stares in shock, eyes wide. "WHAT!!I" she cries. Klahadore stands over the broken frames and declares coldly, "I WANT... EVERYTHING IN THIS HOUSE... BUT IT WON'T BE A SMALL PRESENT LIKE THIS... I WILL ASK HER FOR MY OWN PRESENTS." Merry gasps, "!!I" Klahadore continues, "CLAHADOR-SAN, WHY DID YOU BREAK THE PRESENTI! OJOU-SAMA WENT THROUGH SO MUCH TROUBLE TO GET IT FOR YOU!!"

Klahadore stands calmly in the mansion hallway, one hand raised as he declares, "BECAUSE IN JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS, THIS VILLAGE WILL BE OVER-TAKEN BY PIRATES." He adds, "THERE'S NO NEED TO CONTINUE THIS ACT..." Usopp recoils in shock, eyes wide, shouting "WHA...!I WHAT...!I" In a sudden close-up, Klahadore's face twists with intensity, three years of pent-up rage surfacing as he thinks, "THREE YEARS... IS WAY TOO LONG..." An impact strikes with a loud "ゴォッ!!" Someone screams ".........!! OJOJU-SAMA! RUN......" Usopp is violently kicked backward, tumbling across the floor amid debris and motion lines as the attack lands with a sharp "ザッ!!" and "!!!I"

On the deck of the pirate ship at night, Jango bangs on the cabin door, yelling "TIME TO WAKE UP!" with loud knocks "ドン ドン". A sleepy crewman mutters "IT'S MORNING ALREADY..." while another calls out "CAPTAIN JANGO!" Jango bursts out furious, "YOU IDIOTS! IT'S NOT MORNING YET! DON'T SAY 'GOOD MORNING'!" The crew snaps to attention, replying "YES SIR! SORRY!" and "GOOD MORNING". Jango adjusts his glasses with a "カチ..." sound and begins walking across the deck, his long coat swaying with each "STEP STEP" as the crew watches in the background.

Jango tips his hat and greets with "MORNIN'", his face filling the panel as he thinks "MY MEN..." with a dramatic "ドーン!" sound. The crew stares in awe. A label reads "KURO NEKO MEANS BLACK CAT". Jango raises his hand and shouts "LET'S GOOO MEN!!" The pirates erupt in cheers, "YEEAAA!!", raising weapons and fists in excitement. A sign identifies him as "CURRENT CAPTAIN OF KURO NEKO PIRATE FLEET I. 2 JANGO" while the crew rallies on the deck.

At the cliffside, the Usopp Pirates finish their trap as one says "NOW THOSE BASTARDS WON'T BE ABLE TO GET UP THIS SLOPE" and another adds "WE'VE SPRAYED A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL HERE!" with a large "どろーん" effect. They conclude "OKAY! WE'RE DONE!" Usopp holds up a small bottle and declares "THIS IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO BATTLE THEM!" while the crew fights below the slope, shouting "NO MATTER WHAT, WE MUST GUARD THIS SLOPE WITH OUR LIVES" amid combat sounds. Usopp's group responds "YEPP!" and warns "JUST DON'T FALL DOWN THERE YOURSELF! OR ELSE YOU'RE SCREWED!"

Luffy stands on the cliffside with arms crossed, shouting with fierce determination, "I HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN MYSELF!" A voice answers, "DON'T WORRY!" SFX: DO--N!! The sun rises over the sea as Luffy, Usopp, Nami, and Zoro stand together facing the horizon. Someone declares, "THE SUN IS UP!" Usopp warns, "THE PIRATES ARE GOING TO COME SOON..." Below, Jango grins with heart-shaped sunglasses while Kuro smirks confidently, both watching the group from the village.

The massive Black Cat Pirates ship crashes onto the rocky shore with a thunderous impact. SFX: ZUOooOooO, DO--N!! A crewman yells, "WE'VE REACHED THE SHORE!" On deck, a pirate reports to the captain, "CAPTAIN! THERE ARE TWO STRANGE LOOKING SHIPS OVER THERE!" The captain replies, "DON'T MIND THEM, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TREASURE ANYWAYS." The crew erupts in excitement: "OUR PLAN IS TO DESTROY THE VILLAGE!" "LET'S GO, EVERYBODY!!" SFX: OOOO-OOOOO-OOOO-OH...!!!

At dawn on the cliffs, Luffy's group scans the empty sea. "YOU DON'T SUPPOSE THEY SLEPT INI" "IT'S ALREADY MORNING..." "WHERE ARE THEY..." SFX: SHI....N, SWOOSH... The Black Cat Pirates charge forward with weapons drawn, roaring "GOOO-OOOOO-OOOOO-OO...!!!" Nami raises her hand and says, "I CAN HEAR 'GO!' COMING FROM THE NORTH DIRECTION..." "AM I JUST OVERLY SENSITIVEI" The group panics: "DON'T TELL ME YOU GOT IT WRONG!" "THERE'S ANOTHER ENTRANCE INTO THE VILLAGE IN THE NORTH... BUT..." "WHAT'S GOING ON" "I'M POSITIVE!" "THE NORTH!I" SFX: GAKU!!

Luffy points urgently and declares, "THE LANDSCAPE ON THAT SIDE IS BASICALLY THE SAME AS THIS ONE! ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS PREVENT THEM FROM COMING ON TOP OF THE SLOPE!" Usopp adds, "GOING IN THAT DIRECTION IT'LL ONLY TAKE 3 MINUTES!" Nami warns, "HURRY! WHICH WAY ARE THEY GOING TO ATTACK THE VILLAGE FROMI" "THEY TALKED ABOUT THE PLAN HERE... SO I THOUGHT THEY'D ATTACK FROM THIS SIDE!" Usopp realizes, "DAMN! THEN OUR OIL TRAP AND PREPARATIONS ARE USELESS" while Luffy shouts, "I ONLY NEED 20 SECONDS TO GET THERE!" Kaya's servant cries, "MY TREASURE IS GOING TO BE ROBBED!" "OH NO! THAT'S WHERE WE DOCKED OUR SHIPS!!" SFX: ZUDAN!! Nami slips on the rocks, yelling "HELP! I'M SLIPPING!" Zoro calls out, "NAMI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!I" SFX: ZURU ZURU, AAH!

Nami collides with a swordsman carrying multiple blades, sending him sprawling. "OOPS! SORRY!" she blurts as the impact sends both tumbling. The swordsman yells "LET GO! IDIOT!" while struggling, and a loud "WAAH!!" rings out. Nami quickly recovers and dashes away with "THANKS!", leaving the man face-down in the dirt amid "だん だん だん!" sound effects and another "WAAH!". In a close-up, Nami looks back determined, declaring "BUT MY TREASURE IS IN DANGER!" as the swordsman plummets off a ledge with "WAAH..." and a final "EH..." escapes someone nearby.

The swordsman glares furiously and shouts "NAMI! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" while Nami flees through the ruins. She calls back "IF THEY DARE TOUCH MY TREASURE, I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THEM!" Luffy appears running hard, yelling "RUN NORTH!" repeatedly. Usopp, sweating, notes "THAT GUY RUNS SO FAST, I LOST SIGHT OF HIM ALREADY!" and "I WON'T LET THEM GET TO THE VILLAGE...". In the distance, Black Cat Pirates charge forward with weapons raised, roaring "DON'T LET ANYONE LIVE!" and "AHA HHA HA HA!" as "GOOO OOOO OOO!" echoes behind them.

A cloaked figure with heart-shaped glasses spots movement and warns "YOU ARE... THERE'S SOMEONE... UP ON THE SLOPE!" Chaos erupts as the Black Cat Pirates clash violently with Luffy and others, cries of "WAH!" and "ARGH!" filling the air. Usopp suddenly appears center stage, striking a dramatic pose with his slingshot while declaring "I'VE MADE ALL PREPARATIONS! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE, THEN RETREAT AT ONCE! I'M CAPTAIN USOPP! I'VE BEEN WAITING HERE FOR YOU GUYS!" Meanwhile Luffy and Nami look around in confusion: "I THOUGHT I WAS RUNNING TO THE NORTH SHOREI" "I REACHED THE VILLAGEI" The swordsman below mutters "I CAN'T GET UP THERE! DAMN!"

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